(#partner #freebooks: All books noted by asterisks (***) indicate I received the book for free from the publisher, the author, or another promotional company to review. All opinions are my own.)

(Full Disclosure: If you decide to purchase a book through the Amazon link, I will receive a small compensation from that purchase. Thank you!)

Does it even feel like summer to any of you? In my mind, summer is supposed to be relaxed and carefree, but whatever reason, all my family has been doing so far is running, running, running. It’s hard to even catch a breath!

Thank goodness a book can go with me everywhere I have to go!

This week has been a GREAT week for reading!

What have you been reading (and loving) this week?

Last Week’s Reads:*** Waiting for Tom Hanks by: Kerry Winfrey (Berkley) – Pub Date: June 11, 2019

This one is adorable! Again, not my preferred genre, but I saw this one all over #bookstagram with rave reviews, so I gave it a shot…and I’m glad I did! This is the perfect summer read – quick, sweet, and adorable. It reminds me of a few other books I’ve read this year in the same genre and loved just as much: The Flatshare, The Unhoneymooners and The Girl He Used To Know, and The Beantown Girls.

*** American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by: Maureen Callahan (Viking) – Pub Date: July 2, 2019

Holy cow! What the heck did I just read? This was one intense look into a virtually unknown serial killer after he was finally arrested for killing an eighteen-year-old in Alaska. What unraveled was shocking and spine-tingling. Fans of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark will love this one – and dare I say, this one was so much more well done?!

*** The Lager Queen of Minnesota by: J. Ryan Stradal (Pamela Dorman Books) – On Shelves: July 23, 2019

Annie B. Jones has already mentioned how good this one is, so I knew I wanted to give it a try. I could not put this one down! I loved it so much; it’s such a sweet story with characters that I won’t soon forget. You don’t need to know a single thing about beer (or brewing beer)  to appreciate this story.

Internment by: Samira Ahmed (Little, Brown) – Pub Date: March 19, 2019

This was quite the timely read given what’s currently going on at the borders of Mexico. In this fictional account, set “15 minutes in the future”, Layla and her parents are taken to an internment camp in the middle of a dessert. After the president declared all Muslims to be “enemies of America”, he then had them rounded up and put in camps. But Layla and her new friends aren’t going down without a fight. They secretly come up with several resistance plans in order to gain back their freedom. 

Currently Reading:Americanah by: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Anchor Books) – Pub Date: May 14, 2013

I’ve had this book on my #tbr list for years now…yes, I even carried it all the way to Mexico with me on vacation once – and still never read it. I forced myself to ignore ARC responsibilities and picked this one up. It’s one of those books that has great reviews and is always followed with “I love that book!” or “That’s totally a must-read book!” I’m not even halfway through and though it’s a densely packed book, I’m enjoying getting an in-depth look into these characters.

🎧 *** Whisper Network by: Chandler Baker (Flatiron) – Pub Date: July 2, 2019

This one is Reece Witherspoon’s Book Club pick for July. I decided to try this one on audio because I needed a new audiobook and because I’m participating in the Libro.fm Summer Listening Challenge! (If you’d also like to participate, follow the link and download your tracking log. Also, if you’re not a member yet, use my promo code: HAPPIEST to get 3-for-1 audiobooks!)

🎧 *** Daisy Jones and The Six by: Taylor Jenkins Reid (Ballantine) – Pub Date: March 5, 2019

Loved this one when I read it in hardback, but I had #fomo when everyone raved about how good the audiobook was. I’ve been listening to this one off-and-on for the past week and I’m loving the various actors!

*** Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer’s Path by: Nicole Gulotta (Roost Books) – On Shelves: October 15, 2019

Still { s l o w l y } making my way through this one! I like it, it’s just not a page turner for me!

(#partner #freebooks: All books noted by asterisks (***) indicate I received the book for free from the publisher, the author, or another promotional company to review. All opinions are my own.)

After what felt like a slow start to July, we’re suddenly already to the middle of it! I blinked and here we are! My kids start school again in just 30 days and my mind is blown! I sort of feel like we haven’t really had a summer and I think the cooler temps of June are to blame for that. It’s been a weird summer, and sadly, it’s almost over.

Do you have any last minute summer vacations planned?

Last Week’s Reads:The Editor by: Steven Rowley (Putnam) – Pub Date: April 2, 2019

I was so pleasantly surprised by this one. I had no idea that Jackie O was an editor, so after finding this out, I went down the internet rabbit hole and tried to learn more about her fascinating life. (I wrote a fuller review here.) I enjoyed Rowley’s writing style and learning about the book publishing process. I’ve seen lots of mixed reviews for this one, but I fell solidly on the side of love and enjoyment!

*** A Year Without a Name by: Cyrus Grace Dunham (Little, Brown & Company) – On Shelves: October 15, 2019

Don’t let the small size of this book fool you! It’s not long but it’s packed. It didn’t take much time before I was reaching for my pen to underline ALL THE LINES. Sadly, it’s not out until October (2019), but it’s definitely worth the wait!

*** The Gifted School by: Bruce Holsinger (Riverhead) – Pub Date: July 2, 2019

I definitely am not as crazy about this book as the rest of #bookstagram seems to be, but I did enjoy it. With Big Little Lies and Gossip Girl vibes, it was a highly entertaining ride! It dragged on a little long for me and I struggled to finish. Also, I really didn’t prefer the ending…it left me a little dissatisfied. 

*** The Chain by: Adrian McKinty (Mulholland Books) – Pub Date: July 9, 2019

Holy moly…what did I just read?!?! Remember those chain letters when you were a little kid? They always ended with the threat that if you’re the one to break the chain, dire consequences would happen. Now imagine this same concept where you have to kidnap a kid in order to get your kidnapped kid back! It’s intense and so much better than I was expecting! I read this one in a day and literally had the hardest time putting it down. I think it’s the perfect summer thriller!

Three Women by: Lisa Taddeo (Avid Reader Press) – Pub Date: July 9, 2019

This seems to be the IT book of the summer. I was happy to get a copy through my Book of the Month subscription (sign up here, if you haven’t done so already! It really is one of my favorite bookish treats to myself each month!). I finished this one yesterday, and there’s a lot I need to wrap my brain around before I can be truly honest about my feelings. (Warning: graphic sexual content) #reviewtocome

Currently Reading:

*** Waiting for Tom Hanks by: Kerry Winfrey (Berkley) – Pub Date: June 11, 2019

#bookstagrammademedoit! This one is everywhere and after the heaviness of Three Women, I’m ready for something a little less intense. These aren’t always my go-to genre, but every now and again, I enjoy a book from this category (most recently, The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, my review here).

*** Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer’s Path by: Nicole Gulotta (Roost Books) – On Shelves: October 15, 2019

Still { s l o w l y } making my way through this one! I like it, it’s just not a page turner for me!

DNF:Naturally Tan by: Tan France (St. Martin’s Press) – Pub Date: June 4, 2019

I saw multiple rave reviews of this one, but Tan just kept coming across as pretentious to me. I didn’t enjoy his voice at all and ended up DNFing it.

*** Star-Crossed by: Minnie Darke (Crown) – Pub Date: May 21, 2019

I think this one could have potential, but it was taking more brain power than I was interested in investing to understand the astrology verbiage associated with each character.

What did you read last week?